What does it mean? This is the most important question to keep in mind when critiquing literature. Literary theories are used to understand the various ways different people can interpret the same texts. While books, movies, TV shows, and music are meant to entertain, they can also be critically analyzed as forms of literature. There are a number of different theories that can be used to criticize a text. Most people observe a text through multiple theories or “critical lenses” at a time, so when a text is read with a particular criticism in mind, it creates a whole new perception of the story for the reader. Marxist theory is a common critical lens that can be used to analyze different texts. It is evident in most literature, but is prominent…show more content… When the Whites are first introduced, they are seen as a lower or working class family, with the son, Herbert, being the caregiver as well as the source of income for them. When Sergeant Major Morris first brings the monkey’s paw into their lives, he warns the Whites, “[The old fakir] wanted to show that fate ruled people’s lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow” (Jacobs 2). However, despite the warnings from Major Morris, the Whites proceed to use the paw. The need to escape one’s social class is evident when Mrs. White and Herbert encourage Mr.White to wish for 200 pounds in order to clear their mortgage. Consequently, their temperament with the natural balance of things results in the death of Herbert. The Whites eventually receive the money they wish for, but in the form of compensation for Herbert’s death. In this story, the author advocates against the idea of breaking the class system. This is demonstrated through the White family as they make no progress in escaping their lower social class; they obtain the 200 pounds but in turn lose their son Herbert, who they are supported financially by. Essentially, Jacobs tries to enforce the notion that the circumstance one is born into is something that cannot be altered. This ideology is contrasted in the story of
